the Refugees
by Lia Bates
Summary: Arenne was awoken at midnight by her younger sister Lanai, who said that in two weeks, they would both be executed. Both fled Karse, and became refugees in Valdemar
1. chapter 1

The Refugees  
  
Author's Note: I do know that this story could never have happened, but I was just very fond of the main character. Arenne was brave enough and strong enough to flee to the land of an ancestral enemy, and admit that everything she was ever taught was wrong. And I also like Lanai. She's cute.  
  
And if you think that that is unlikely in a twelve year old girl, stuff it.  
  
*  
  
Arenne was cold. She pulled her ragged cloak tighter about her, and hugged the sleeping form of her sister closer to her chest. Arenne wished she, too, could sleep, but she was wise enough to know that giving in to her exhaustion in this snow would be suicide.  
  
It would not have been very hard to make a shelter amongst the copse of pine trees; even someone as unskilled as twelve year old Arenne could do it. But her little sister, Lanai, had told her not to.  
  
And that was where the matter ended. For when five-year-old Lanai instructed her to do something, Arenne obeyed without question. It had been on Lanai's orders that the two had fled Karse the previous month.  
  
Lanai had awoken Arenne shortly after midnight, and told her with an adult seriousness and absolutely no fear, that in two weeks, at the feast of the children, both she and Arenne would be taken away and burnt. There had been no question in Arenne's mind that her little sister had been correct; every year the girl had lived in fear that her secret would be discovered. For Arenne could feel the slimy touches of the priest's minds as they stared at her, and had pulled her own witch powers back in terror as they passed.  
  
And Lanai was different enough already to warrant attention from the priests; instead of the tradition dark hair and eyes, and olive tinged skin that almost all Karsites, including Arenne, shared, Lanai's hair was white, her skin, too, and her eyes were a pale, pale blue like a dawn sky. That is what gave her the name Lanai; in the Karsite tongue, it meant 'snow'.  
  
The snow fell, and Arenne was so cold, and so tired. The last month had been harder than any other in her life. The pair had left their isolated farm that very night, with only the clothes on their back and as much food as they could conveniently carry. Arenne had spared only a fleeting thought for their parents; Lanai was and always had been far more important to her.  
  
The pair had moved at night; a time no one else would brave. Lanai had told them when the demons would strike, and where; where bandits hid their supplies of food, and when to hide from Karsite soldiers. Without Lanai, and her strange precognitive power, Arenne would not have lasted that first night.  
  
With her exhaustion, malnutrition, and the draining effect of the cold, it was hardly surprising that Arenne did something incredibly stupid. She fell asleep.  
  
*  
  
When Arenne awoke, she was warm, and leaning on something far more comfortable than the scratchy pine tree of the previous night. Lanai stirred in her arms, and wriggled free of her sister's grasp with a crow of delight.  
  
Arenne sat up, and watched, bemused, as Lanai danced upon the pristine blanket of untouched snow. "I knew it, I knew it!" she chanted as she skipped around in a circle.  
  
"Knew what?" Arenne asked her.  
  
The girl stopped in front of her sister, solemn blue eyes wide. "This is the one we've been waiting for," She said enigmatically. "He'll help us."  
  
Confused, Arenne turned around, and stared into the amused sapphire eyes of a glisteningly white horse.  
  
:Companion,: It corrected her. :Not a horse, a Companion. And not an 'it' either.: No thought Arenne dazedly. The voice was definitely masculine. :I am Natan,: The Companion told her. :And the little Seeress is right; I have come to help you. I Choose you, Arenne.:  
  
"You - what?" Arenne asked dazedly.  
  
"He Chooses you, 'Renne." Lanai explained patiently. She crept up to her sister and whispered in her ear. "He's a dead person."  
  
:I Choose you,: Natan repeated. :You and I are Bonded now. I will take you to Haven. You will learn to be a Herald. You will help people, and make their lives better.:  
  
"I'm going to come, too." Lanai asserted.  
  
:Of course, little Seeress.: Natan assented. :You are the one who brought my bonded to me. How could I possibly refuse?:  
  
Lanai tapped Natan's nose. "You're silly." She informed him, and placed her arms around his head, kissing him between the eyes. "You're my friend." Natan let out a whuffling laugh, and appearing to take that as an invitation, Lanai climbed onto his broad neck, just in front of the elaborate saddle. "Up!" She instructed, and Natan rose gracefully to his feet. "Get on." She ordered imperiously. "We're going to meet the queen!"  
  
Amused by Lanai's childish assertations and instructions, Arenne tried to pull herself onto the saddle. She managed on the third try.  
  
"Are you a Hellhorse?" She enquired calmly once she was firmly ensconced in the saddle. Lanai leaned back against her.  
  
:Your people call me that.: Natan admitted. :Do you mind?:  
  
"I just fled Karse, in danger of my life." Arenne pointed out. "They were going to burn me and Lanai alive. You saved me from freezing to death, and you are taking me to somewhere safe. I think I like you more."  
  
"Can we go now?" Lanai asked beseechingly. With another whuffling laugh, Natan began to move, taking Arenne and Lanai into a new and different life.  
  
*  
  
Alberich was grooming Kantor. Suddenly the Companion looked up, strangely alert.  
  
:My brother's on his way back.: The stallion informed his Chosen.  
  
Alberich smiled. Until recently, he had not known that Kantor had any family, but then Kantor had let slip the fact that Natan, his much younger brother had gone out to Choose. Kantor still had a 'listening' attitude, so Alberich waited wordlessly.  
  
:Yes, he's at the palace gates now.: Kantor continued. Then - :Ah - I think you should go meet them.:  
  
One of Alberich's dark eyebrows shot up. Normally it was not his job to greet the new Trainees. He observed this to Kantor, but no more information was forthcoming. With a mental groan at the perversity of Companions, Alberich put down the brush and mounted. Kantor was bare back, but this was no problem to the once-Cavalry captain of Karse.  
  
As he neared the main gate into the palace compound, Alberich saw that he was not the only one alerted to the arrival of the new Trainee; Teren, the Dean of the Heraldic colegium, was also riding out to meet them.  
  
Natan came into view, entering and riding up to the two Heralds. Unexpectedly, there were two figures on his back, an older girl who Alberich judged to be the Trainee, and a young girl, presumably her younger sister.  
  
Then he saw the elder one's face, and froze with shock. The girl was Karsite; and in spite of her strange colouring, the young one had the same sharp features and pointed chin. While he was speechless and shocked, Teren spoke.  
  
"Welcome to Haven," he said gently. "What is your name?"  
  
This was directed to the older girl, but she looked dreadfully confused. She glanced down at Natan, and her expression cleared. "Arenne," She said simply.  
  
"And who is this?" Teren asked, smiling at the little girl seated before her.  
  
Again it took a moment to answer before the little girl chirped. "Lanai," Alberich started: the girl had just identified herself with the Karsite word for snow.  
  
"And why have you come with Arenne, Lanai?"  
  
Arenne looked utterly helpless. Acting on his suspicions, Alberich stepped forward and repeated the question in his native Karsite. The girls expression became one of great relief, and she answered in a flood of words that possibly only a native speaker would make sense of.  
  
"I caught some of that, but not much." Teren said, alive with curiosity. "They're Karsite? You'll have to teach them Valdemaran."  
  
"Yes," Alberich replied. "They fled Karse a little over a month ago. The young one, Lanai, has fore-sight; they both would have been burnt except for her vision."  
  
Teren shuddered. He would have asked more, but Lanai spoke up. "We're traitors now, like you, Alberich." Alberich felt a slight chill. He had not identified himself to them, much less told him that he was the Great Traitor. Obviously the girl's Fore Sight was uncannily strong.  
  
Teren spoke slowly in Karsite; like all Heralds, he had learned the language as part of his studies. "We will give you a room that you may share until other accommodations can be made. If you come with me, I will show you."  
  
Lanai stared at him. "He talks funny." She observed critically. "Will you come with us, Mister Traitor?" She enquired of Alberich.  
  
"Lanai!" Arenne scolded, blushing slightly. "You shouldn't call him that!"  
  
"But that's how he thinks of himself," Lanai objected mutinously.  
  
"I'm sorry, sir," Arenne apologized. "She doesn't mean to be rude."  
  
"I know she doesn't," Alberich agreed. "Yes, Lanai, I will come with you. I will have to teach you to speak Valdemaran." Alberich slid from Kantor's back. Once he was on the ground, Lanai stretched out her arms to him in a mute appeal to be lifted to the ground. Arenne watched in amusement as he uncomfortably performed this service for her. Arenne joined them on the ground.  
  
The three Companions moved away; Natan informed her they were returning to their stable, as was he. Then Arenne took Lanai's hand and followed the two Heralds into a new, and wholly unnatural way of life. 


	2. chapter 2

Chapter 2  
  
*  
  
The Housekeeper, Gaytha, had done better than a shared room; she had managed to find two interconnecting rooms, one big and one small. Alberich explained that this was normally used for adult Chosen who brought young children with them; fortunately there weren't any of those in the colegium at the current time.  
  
The big room was slightly larger than the norm for a mere Trainee, and as well as a bed, contained a table, two comfortable chairs, a bookshelf, a fireplace and a storage chest. The two small bedroom opening off this area held a bed and another chest.  
  
Lanai, with the curiosity of any five-year-old, had immediately explored the rooms, eyes wide with avaricious glee. Arenne agreed with her. Compared to the miniscule attic they had shared on their farm in Karse, these basic rooms were palatial.  
  
Having explored their new domain and evidently found it to her liking, Lanai returned to the housekeeper still hovering with Alberich at the entrance. She bestowed a hug and a kiss on the pleased Gaytha, who left briefly and returned with a doll, obviously a discard from some more fortunate child. Arenne hid a smile as Gaytha presented it to the delighted little girl; Lanai was very adept at completely charming adults.  
  
"It is late," Alberich informed them. Arenne jumped; she had been lost in her own musings. "It is almost the dinner hour for the colegium. Am I right in thinking you will prefer not to meet the other Trainees yet?"  
  
Arenne shuddered, and agreed. It would be very intimidating to be surrounded by strange, confident children who could not even speak an understandable language.  
  
"Then I will have a servant bring some food here. Normally we do not encourage Trainees to eat in their rooms, but for you, we will make an exception." Alberich spoke briefly to Gaytha and left.  
  
The woman herded them towards what was apparently a bath house; the first either Arenne or Lanai had ever seen. In Karse, their parents had heated kettles of water over the hearth fire, and Lanai and Arenne had used that. To their poor, country bred eyes, the bathing room was as outlandish as anything they had ever seen.  
  
When they were both clean and dry, Gaytha presented them with new clothes. Arenne's were grey and drab, of a strange cut. Not remotely familiar, Arenne noticed with distaste.  
  
Then she remembered that 'familiar' was being burnt alive, and pulled on the tunic and trews - another unfamiliar item, for a girl - with a will.  
  
Lanai did not wear a uniform; Gaytha presented her with a soft woollen frock of a pale pink. Then Gaytha brushed Lanai's silver hair back, leaving Arenne to groom herself. Arenne wondered idly if Gaytha had any children; from the way she reacted to Lanai, she would be a very good mother.  
  
Alberich brought the promised supper to their rooms, and as they ate, he told them about life at the colegium. Arenne knew with a horrible certainty, that she would be at the bottom of her class in everything; Karse was not very keen on education , and as a girl, Arenne was barely taught to write her own name.  
  
"Alberich," She said quietly, "I know you're going to teach me Valdemaran, but - could you show me how to read?" She flushed slightly. "I don't want to be the bottom of my class."  
  
Alberich smiled a little bit, and his expression was a mixture of pleasure and surprise. "I'm no teacher," he warned.  
  
"I can't read either." Lanai remarked forlornly.  
  
Alberich smiled at her. Arenne noticed that the expression, though easy on his face, was not his accustomed expression; the lines on his face came from frowning rather than smiling. "There are classes for the Queen's pages." He told Lanai. "Some of the pages are your age; you will certainly be able to join them in their classes. But I will teach you Valdemaran first." Lanai smiled, certain again that she was the most important person in the room.  
  
By the end of the meal, Lanai was yawning openly, and Arenne felt like yawning too. Alberich gave them both an understanding look, and stacked all the dinner plates back on their tray. "Get some sleep," He advised, taking the tray and leaving. "Someone will come for you at the second bell."  
  
Arenne found cotton nightdresses for both herself and Lanai in their storage chests, and put the little girl into her bed before returning to her own room. It was certainly unusual to sleep in a different room from Lanai, or even to have the resources to do so.  
  
*  
  
Later that night, Arenne was awoken by her younger sister. Through a crack in the curtains, moonlight glinted on a tear-streaked face.  
  
"'Renne?" Lanai asked. "I had a nightmare. Can I sleep with you?"  
  
As Lanai burrowed under her covers, Arenne reflected with a faint, drowsy amusement, that having separate rooms would only become reality when Lanai stopped having nightmares.  
  
*  
  
First were the Valdemaran lessons with Alberich. That was indeed a trial. "This language makes no sense!" Arenne complained at one point. "The verb is in the wrong place! How do these people understand each other when the verb comes before all the other information?"  
  
Alberich smiled at her. "No one will mind if you put the verb at the end of your sentences," He pointed out. "I myself do so when I can."  
  
Natan helped her as much as he could. As he pointed out, the mind has no real language, but when he needed to, he could insert information directly into her mind.  
  
Finally the language lesson was over, and another lesson began. "You asked if I could teach you to write," Alberich said. "I agreed, but that is not my subject of teaching. Would you mind if I asked another Herald to help you? She speaks Karsite well." At Arenne's cautious nod, and Lanai's apparent indifference, Alberich sent a quick thought to Kantor.  
  
A few moments later, there was a knock on the door of Arenne's room. Alberich opened it, and another Herald entered.  
  
She made an unusual sight indeed; she was plump and her curly brown hair was in disarray. But open her face was a very strange contraption; bits of glass held on her nose with wire and leather.  
  
"This is Herald Myste," Alberich introduced her. "Myste, this is Arenne and Lanai."  
  
"I am pleased to meet you," The woman said in slow, but clear Karsite, hindered only by a trace of accent.  
  
"If you don't mind, I have to beat some sense into thick Trainee skulls," Alberich excused himself, leaving the room.  
  
"I think I will teach you both at once," Myste declared, after scrutinizing both the girls through her strange, glass contraptions. "And I shall begin at the beginning. Karsite and Valdemaran use the same letter-symbols, so there is a good place to start."  
  
*  
  
The lesson lasted until lunch time, when once again, on Arenne's request, they ate in their quarters. Then it was declared that they would have free time all afternoon; a luxury that apparently no other Trainee had. Arenne decided to visit Natan, with Lanai in tow.  
  
Natan was certainly pleased to see them, and advised Arenne that he wanted to be groomed. The stables were much warmer than the snowy outdoors, so Arenne had no objection in complying. So while she groomed the utterly contented Natan, Lanai seated herself on a pile of straw and played with the doll Gaytha had given her.  
  
She was so quiet in her play that Arenne did not even notice when she had left. Arenne was not overly concerned; they were safe in the palace, and Lanai was dressed warmly enough for the snow, but she did wish Lanai had told her she was going exploring.  
  
Bidding Natan a fond farewell, Arenne followed Lanais foot prints as the meandered through the field. As the left the field and re-entered the palace gardens, Arenne heard a faint crying, and quickened her steps, breaking into a run.  
  
As she entered a formal, snowy garden, she saw Lanai, crying, and reaching vainly for the doll held out of her reach by a well dressed boy a little older than Arenne.  
  
Fury broke out in her, and she marched over to the sniggering boy and punched him square in the face.  
  
*  
  
Kantor spoke into Alberich's head just as he was dismissing a class of Trainees. :It seems your chicks have gotten themselves into trouble,: He remarked sardonically. Alberich groaned.  
  
"What happened?" He asked.  
  
:According to Natan, they came out to visit him. While Arenne was grooming him, Lanai snuck away. She followed, of course, and found Lord Delick's younger boy teasing Lanai, holding her doll out of reach, and making her cry.:  
  
"Curse the boy," Alberich muttered, moving towards the entrance of the salle, where Kantor awaited him. "What did Arenne do?"  
  
:Gave him a black eye. Nicely done, for someone with no training.:  
  
Alberich muttered a curse. Although he could not fault Arenne's judgement, for the thirteen year old Bryen was one of the rudest and most arrogant little highborn bullies it had been his displeasure to meet, he really had not wanted her to get into trouble this early on.  
  
"Where are they now?" He asked.  
  
:The Provost Marshal found them, saw the Grey uniform, and hauled the three off to Teren's Office. Oh - and Teren wants you to come join him. You'll intimidate Bryen, and the girls will trust you.:  
  
* * * *  
  
Ahah - next chapter you will see what happens! 


	3. chapter 3

Chapter Three  
  
Author's Note: I got reviews! I'm so happy. Keep it up, wonderful people!  
  
*  
  
As Alberich walked into Teren's office, he took in the whole scene in a glance. Arenne was glaring mutinously at the floor, Lanai looked horribly bewildered, Teren looked tired and annoyed, and Bryen was spouting an arrogant tirade.  
  
"Who are they that they should hit me?" The boy demanded, sneering. "Why on earth do you let these Karsite scum into the palace at all?"  
  
Alberich almost smiled. This would be too easy. "I hope in this category you do not me include," He commented in a dangerous tone.  
  
Bryen went white and spun around. "H - herald Alberich," he stuttered. "I - ah - oh - "  
  
Alberich cut him off with a raised hand. "And as to who they are," He continued, "Arenne is a Herald Trainee - and as such she technically holds rank equal to yours - and her younger sister, Lanai, is the ward of the Colegium, and as such is under the guardianship of all Heralds, including several who outrank you."  
  
If possible, Bryen went even paler.  
  
Teren took back his authority. "Herald Alberich is absolutely correct," He informed the white Bryen. "But since you have already received a small punishment for your unprovoked and malicious bullying of Lanai," Teren gestured toward Bryen's rapidly darkening and swelling eye, "We will be lenient." Hope came to Bryen's face, and a slight return of his self confident smirk. "You will only be restricted to the palace complex for a fortnight."  
  
Rage suffused Bryen's features. His older brother, Daryl, had taken to including him with his cronies' excursions into the city. Evidently being banned from this rankled. "My father will hear of this, you just see," he blustered.  
  
"Despite your opinions to the contrary," Teren said bitingly, "Your father is nothing more than a minor lord. He would be far more likely to double this punishment in return for you jeopardising your chances at the palace." Teren stared at the shrinking boy for a long moment. "You may go."  
  
As the boy fled, Alberich knelt down next to Arenne. "How did you hit him?" He asked. Arenne held up a clenched fist, a distinctly confused look on her face. Alberich gently moved her thumb from under her fingers onto the top of her fist. "Next time you decide to start battering a nobleman , hit them with your hand like this."  
  
*  
  
Shortly after the resulting warning not to get in trouble, Alberich escorted them to a part of the palace they had not seen before. He left them in a comfortable room, despite Lanai's entreaties and Arenne's wariness.  
  
Soon, however, two other Heralds entered. :This is Herald Talia, and Queen Selenay,: Natan confided. Arenne smothered a gasp at the identity of the second woman. :Talia's very important too.:  
  
"I told you we were going to meet the Queen," Lanai whispered.  
  
"Hello," The Queen greeted them in slightly accented Karsite. "I don't often greet Trainees personally, but for Alberich's protegees, I'll make an exception." Arenne could sense from her tone that she and Alberich were very good friends. The two Heralds sat down on a sofa.  
  
"You greeted me," Talia commented, again in Karsite. The entire palace seemed to know some snippet of the language.  
  
"She's going to be a Sun-priestess," Lanai said to Arenne, looking at Talia. Arenne shushed her as the Queen began to speak again.  
  
"I just thought I'd say that if you have any trouble - if anyone makes life difficult for you, you can come to me." Arenne did gasp this time. This seemed too bizarre to credit. "Or you can go to Talia if you can't find me. She'll help you get out of trouble." Talia smiled. She was younger than the queen, and her chestnut curls showed no sign of grey. "Don't let anyone prejudge you; being Karsite does not matter here." The Queen rose to leave, and Talia stood to follow her.  
  
"Herald Talia," Lanai called as she was about to leave. Talia paused for a moment. Lanai smiled a happy smile. "It's a boy." As the door closed behind them, Arenne laughed and laughed at the utterly astonished look on Talia's face.  
  
*  
  
When Arenne returned to her room after a leisurely bath, she was surprised to see the lamps all off and the curtains wide. Through the windows shone a faint silvery light, moonlight on the snow. There was a silhouetted shape against the silver-stained glass.  
  
"Lanai," Arenne asked. "What are you doing?"  
  
"I'm looking at the stars," The girl said. Arenne walked over and joined her on the window seat. "They're talking to me."  
  
"What are they saying?" Arenne asked.  
  
Lanai turned to look at her. Her pale blue eyes looked dark in the dim light, and they were wide and solemn. "They're telling me secrets." Lanai hugged her knees, gazing out the window again. "There's a Lady up there. Can you see her?"  
  
Arenne nodded silently, sure she could almost see it, caught up, as always, in the story her sister was weaving.  
  
"She's lonely," Lanai said sadly.  
  
"Why?" Arenne asked in a whisper. She could almost believe what her sister was saying.  
  
"She wasn't lonely, once." Lanai told her. "She and her Lord ruled two peoples, and they ruled together. But he was of the day, and she was of the night. They grew apart. His people began to fear the night. Her people remembered him, but she always came first. And so she's all alone." Lanai sighed. "But she won't be alone forever; someday she and her husband will rule together again."  
  
Arenne gathered Lanai into her arms and sat there, staring out at the moonlit, starspangled sky, and thinking of the Lady who walked their, weeping for the daylight and the Lord who fled her coming.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
Author's Note: I know it's short. Sorry. I honestly have no idea where I'm going with this. Suggestions would be welcome. 


End file.
